5 research outputs found
LARES-lab: a thermovacuum facility for research and e-learning. Tests of LARES satellite components and small payloads for e-learning
LARES, an Italian Space Agency satellite, has been launched successfully in 2012. A small thermovacuum facility has been designed and built specifically for performing tests on the optical components of the satellite. Due to the extremely demanding performances of the optical cube corner reflectors, the space conditions have been simulated using the most up-to-date technology available. In particular Sun, Earth and deep space can be simulated in a ultra high vacuum. It is planned to automate the facility so that it can be operated remotely over the internet. The students during the lectures and the researchers from home will be able to perform thermal tests on specimens by exposing them, for specified amount of time, toward Earth, Sun or deep space. They will collect pressures and temperatures and will input additional thermal power through resistive heaters. The paper will first describe the facility and its capabilities showing the tests performed on LARES satellite components but will focus mainly to the planned upgrades that improve its remote use both for research and e-learning
Upgrade of the LARES-lab remote controllable thermo-vacuum facility - lab improvements for remote testing and e-learning
The LARES-lab facility was specifically designed to perform tests in simulated space environment on the optical payload of the LAser RElativity Satellite (LARES). Since the facility was intended to perform demanding tests, it was equipped with the best technology available at the time. After the launch of LARES the facility was used both for testing payloads and small university satellites and for didactic activities. Testing in simulated space environment is fundamental for the development of a space mission, so a well equipped facility in a university is a precious resource for teaching. At the moment, room dimension and the location limit the access to the lab to a small number of students per lesson. To fully exploit the didactic potential of the LARES-lab an improvement over the remote control operation of the thermo-vacuum chamber is planned. The project, which has been described in a previous paper, is currently under development. A new device implemented is a robotic arm to manipulate some mechanisms and to gain experience for remote controlling other servo mechanisms. This way both researchers and students can operate the facility remotely with minimal need of on site operations. Once the improvements will be fully operational, LARES-lab will allow access to the laboratory didactic activities to a much larger number of students
X-ray fluorescence applied to yellow pigments based on lead, tin and antimony: comparison of laboratory and portable instrumentation
X-ray fluorescence is a diagnostic approach particularly suited to be utilized in cultural
heritage sector since it falls in the non-destructive and non-invasive analytical tools. However
there are big differences between portable and laboratory instrumentation that make difficult
to perform a comparison in terms of quality and reliability of the results. The present study is
specifically addressed to investigate these differences in respect of the same analytical
sample-set. To reach this goal a comparison was thus carried out between portable and bench
top devices X-ray fluorescence devices and techniques were used on different type of yellow
pigments based on lead, tin and antimony obtained in laboratory, reproducing the instructions
described in “old” recipes, that is: i) mortar of lead and tin produced on the basis of the recipe
13 /c V of the “Manuscript of Danzica” and “ Li tre libri dell’arte del Vasaio” by Cipriano
Piccolpasso; ii) two types of lead and tin yellow (Pb2SnO4 and PbSnO3) produced starting
from the indications of the 272 and 273 recipes of the “Bolognese Manuscript”; iii) lead
antimonate (Pb2Sb2O7) obtained by following the instructions of the Piccolpasso’s treatise
and those contained on the “Istoria delle pitture in maiolica fatte in Pesaro e ne’ luoghi
circonvicini di Giambattista Passeri” and finally iv) lead, tin and antimony yellow
(Pb2SnSbO6,5) obtained starting from the information contained in the paper 30 R of
“Manuscript of Danzica” [1].
The XRF analysis were performed using a laboratory instrumentation (Bruker M4 Tornado)
and a handset analytical device (Assing Surface Monitor). In order to perform a significant
statistical comparison among acquired and processed data, all the analyses have been carried
out utilizing the same sample, the same acquisition set up and operative conditions.
A chemometric approach, based on the utilization of Principal Component Analysis (PCA)
and multivariate analytical based tools [2], was utilized in order to verify the spectral
differences, and related informative content, among the different produced yellow pigments.
The multivariate approach on the results revealed instrumental differences between the two
systems and allowed to compare the common characteristics of the set of pigments analyzed
Review of Particle Physics: Particle Data Group
The Review summarizes much of particle physics and cosmology. Using data from previous editions, plus 2,873
new measurements from 758 papers, we list, evaluate, and average measured properties of gauge bosons and the
recently discovered Higgs boson, leptons, quarks, mesons, and baryons. We summarize searches for hypothetical
particles such as supersymmetric particles, heavy bosons, axions, dark photons, etc. Particle properties and search
limits are listed in Summary Tables. We give numerous tables, figures, formulae, and reviews of topics such as Higgs
Boson Physics, Supersymmetry, Grand Unified Theories, Neutrino Mixing, Dark Energy, Dark Matter, Cosmology,
Particle Detectors, Colliders, Probability and Statistics. Among the 118 reviews are many that are new or heavily
revised, including a new review on Neutrinos in Cosmology.
Starting with this edition, the Review is divided into two volumes. Volume 1 includes the Summary Tables
and all review articles. Volume 2 consists of the Particle Listings. Review articles that were previously part of the
Listings are now included in volume 1.
The complete Review (both volumes) is published online on the website of the Particle Data Group
(http://pdg.lbl.gov) and in a journal. Volume 1 is available in print as the PDG Book. A Particle Physics Booklet
with the Summary Tables and essential tables, figures, and equations from selected review articles is also available